Shades of Black
by TamaraJagellovsk
Summary: Jack hasn't been acting like himself. Now he is. Bad ass AU Jack follows his own agenda.


**A/N: I'm not a big fan of warnings because usually they give too much away and spoil the suspense, but in this case I think you'd hate me if I didn't warn you. OK you're probably going to hate me anyway.**

 **This is highly AU as I I dared myself to come up with a real bad ass Jack that I wouldn't even like myself - based on his performance from "Shades of Grey" (credit for *that* idea goes to ebineez01 – as well as for the long and tiring beta job). It was quite the challenge and I'd like to know what you think. Other than "I hate that AU Jack!" ;-)**

 **Oh and I screwed with the time line of the show. Just don't think about it. Plus I used a few original lines which are obviously not mine, but they fit perfectly so I just took them. Bad ass Jack is rubbing off on me.**

XXX

They're sitting in the briefing room after returning from the Tollan home world empty handed. Again. Jack can barely keep his temper in check as Daniel once more defends their arrogant, oh so superior 'allies'.

"I should have just taken the damn thing."

His team and his CO look at him wide eyed.

"Excuse me?", Hammond asks him.

"With no due respect, _sir_ ", he practically spits the honorific, making it clear how much respect he actually has for the general, "I'm tired of asking nicely and being turned down more or less politely. We should start thinking about our own good. I say screw diplomacy. Let's go out there with as much man power as we can get together and just _take_ what we need. I don't care who's in the way!"

His team still looks at him as if they've never seen him before. Which is true in a way, he thinks, and it makes him smile. A hard, joyless kind of smile. Hammond dismisses the rest of the team and then drags him into his office to put him in his place with a lot more authority than he has ever shown before. Obviously the guy does have it in him. Interesting. He ends up being put off the roster 'until he is back in his right mind'. He hardly waits for the 'dismissed' before he storms out of the general's office. Only to run into Carter on his way out of the mountain.

"Sir? Is there anything I can do?"

One of these days he's going to be sick. Always correct. Always trying to help. Always coming up with a way to fix things. A good portion of his disgust is showing in his counter question: "About?"

He's pleased to see her falter. Carter at a loss. Nice.

"Well, sir, with respect", she stumbles, "you aren't exactly acting like yourself."

Yeah. Like she can tell. He lets her know she doesn't know him as well as she thinks. Not at all, actually: "No, Carter, I haven't been acting like myself since I met you! _Now_ I'm acting like myself."

Boy does that feel good. He can literally see her hero worship die. Those big baby blue eyes go wide in shock and that confirms what he's always suspected: that if she knew the man he really is, she wouldn't even give him the time of day. Oh she would still follow his orders, good little soldier that she is, but she'd detest him. She lives in a different world than he does.

He turns on his heel really not caring what she'd make of it and finally leaves the base. As soon as he gets in his truck he feels relieved. No more acting, no more pretending to be that heroic, but a little dense character he's created. No longer pretending to follow Hammond's orders. Today was the first time his CO lost his temper with him. Seriously, if his subordinates had ever shown as little respect to him as he has towards the general, they would have handed in their transfer requests within the day. Never to cross his path again.

But now he's on down time, so he can go back to being the man he is, independent, trained by the best, hardened by dozens of missions the good soldiers on this base wouldn't even want to think about. He'll work on his own again **,** the way he prefers itinstead of babysitting an archeologist. OK maybe he'll miss the chance to get a glimpse of bare Carter skin every now and then, but she isn't really his type anyway. He likes his girls less talkative. And certainly not smarter than him. It _has been_ nice to have a woman on the team for a change, if only to look at. He likes women...a little too much for a married man, or so his not so beloved ex-wife claimed before she handed him the papers that made him a free man again. Sara always hated his black ops missions. He used to tell her he'd quit after the next mission, but when that didn't happen she took charge of things. She wanted him tame and domesticated, and when he didn't comply she simply went off the pill and behold – he was to become a daddy. That didn't stop him from accepting that FUBAR Iraq mission, and by the time he made it home she had lost the baby. He considered himself not married any more, thinking he should never have agreed to marry her in the first place. A short time later she officially decided they were through. Fine with him.

He arrives at his house and gets comfortable, his mind wandering back to Sam Carter. Maybe he could have talked her out of her uniform, if only she wasn't such a text book soldier. Usually it doesn't take a lot of hard work to get a girl between the sheets if he's really interested. If they aren't military, it's even easier. They'll either fall for the action hero number or for the traumatized veteran. Piece of cake. But the way Carter says 'sir' he's known from the beginning it would be a waste of time. Not worth the effort for a woman who's too much soldier and too little – well, woman. Though it might be nice to make her call him 'sir' while she's wearing a more pleasurable outfit than BDUs... He wonders which strategy would work on Carter. Probably hinting at some of the nasty stuff that comes with the job and whining about how guilty he feels for following those orders yadda yadda. She would make for a nice challenge, that much is for sure. He has a collection of Carter images stored away for later use. A glimpse of her in her bike leathers. Boy was that an improvement on BDUs. And he has that blurry memory of actually being inside her, taking advantage of her uncharacteristic looseness caused by the caveman virus. He told her he doesn't remember anything, but there's enough left in his mind to make for a nice evening. Or he could come up with a new scenario, her up against a wall – or, better still, on her knees before him...his eyes close and he puts that image to good use.

Later that night he tells himself to focus on the job. Being off the roster means he'll work with different people for now, men like Harry Maybourne. He doesn't have friendly feelings for the guy, but Jack O'Neill isn't friends with a lot of people anyway. His friends have a bad tendency to betray him or leave him behind – or to simply die on him. So he keeps to himself, and the way he treated the people on his various teams in the past didn't actually make them want to spend their downtime with him. Which was fine with him because he thinks befriending the people you serve with isn't a good idea anyway. It always messes with the chain of command sooner or later. So, Harry Maybourne. He doesn't like him as a person – hell, the guy is a slimy bastard – but he does respect his ideas and approves of most of his methods.

And the plot they have been talking about, he has to admit it, is just brilliant. The SGC will fall into the hands of the NID like a ripe fruit after that mission. He himself will get to be in charge of it, promotion included of course. He's been a colonel far too long, but his superiors still wanted him in the field. He's too good at the dirty work, and he knows way more than they are comfortable with. Some of the missions he has been ordered to take smelled a lot like they were trying to get rid of him, but he's remarkably hard to kill. But when this is over, he'll get Hammond's chair, and things will change. Earth will finally get the means to defend itself, no matter what the so called diplomatic fall out might be. And the US military will be in control of the 'gate and everything that comes through it. No coalition of politicians from countries like Russia or China will have a say in anything concerning the 'gate. And it will only ever go public over his rotten corpse. The NID has dealt with whistle blowers before and they will again if necessary. People like Jack O'Neill and Harry Maybourne will make sure that the planet is safe, not expecting a reward other than their check, including hazard pay.

He settles into his arm chair, types a text message, and waits. When he hears the knock his gut instantly tells him it isn't Harry Maybourne. He clicks off his Beretta's safety and slips it back into the waistband of his jeans before he opens the door. Daniel. Oh for cryin' out loud. Can't they just leave him alone?

XXX

Another pair of blue eyes looks at him in shock as he says, his voice completely level:

"I guess you couldn't relate to me any more than I could to you."

He actually intended to be less gentle, his annoyance at the civilian boiling to new heights, but the look on Jackson's face tells him the doctor got his point. He'll hopefully leave quickly to go home and lick his wounds. That way he won't run into Harry on his front porch.

Both Carter and Jackson will probably discuss his strange 'change of heart' with the Jaffa. What a pity that his and Harry's attempts to get the alien into the hands of the NID have all failed. Now he probably won't get another chance any time soon.

The next time he hears someone knock it _is_ Maybourne. Before they can say more than their hellos the other colonel hands him a small piece of paper. It says 'Insist on leaving the house before we talk'. He confirms that he understands with a sharp nod. Harry gives him one of his fake smiles.

"You're not offering a fellow officer a seat?"

"No. We'll go for a walk."

"Oh come on, you know perfectly well we can't discuss our little matter in public."

"We either discuss it in public or not at all. Your choice."

The smile that plays at the corner of Harry's mouth is a lot more genuine now. He raises his hands in surrender.

"OK, fine. Paranoid son of a bitch."

They walk in silence for a few minutes. Then, without looking at Maybourne, Jack says:

"If the NID bugged my house, why tell me?"

"Because that's the kind of stuff that gets me your trust."

Jack huffs out a bitter laugh. "I'll never trust you, Maybourne. For all I know you could be bugged yourself."

"You _are_ a paranoid bastard, Jack."

"No shit."

They keep walking until they reach a small park. Sitting down on a bench Maybourne says:

"I have a mission I want you to take. You'd be commanding the unit."

Jack sits down as far away from Maybourne as possible.

"Who's on the team?"

"You agree, you get the intel."

Jack barely refrains from rolling his eyes.

"Still playing games, are we?"

"You don't trust me, that's fine with me. I don't trust you either. You want in, you play by my rules."

"You're the one who turned up on my doorstep."

"After you texted me you were in search of work."

"I have a week."

"That'll do. If you're as good as you claim."

XXX

After mission number one he returns to his house with another sweet memory. He replays the little chat he had with Lt. Tobias once more in his mind:

 _"I like that sweet little tank top number on you, lieutenant."_

 _"You'll like the rest of me, too as soon as you get to know me more...intimately._ Sir _."_

Ah, sweet. Uncomplicated. No need to trick her. Just plain simply take what you want. He absolutely looks forward to having her on his team again. Or to simply having her again, period.

It turns out that they even manage to get another mission done within that week, and Jack comes to realize that – while he'd never go into combat with the guy – Harry Maybourne is a brilliant strategist and doesn't have any scruples. So the night he returns from mission number two they sit down together and seriously start laying out their plan.

XXX

Jack knocks at his CO's front door. Time to play his role once more – for the last time, he hopes.

When the older man opens the door, Jack puts on a small smile.

"Jack."

Ouch – he'll have to work for this. The guy is still pissed. He goes for gentle:

"Can I please come in for a moment, sir?"

Hammond steps back to let him in, but there's no smile on his face. He gestures for Jack to follow him into his living room. Jack closes the door behind him and listens for a moment. No movement in the house. Hammond is alone. He enters the living room where Hammond is waiting for him, still on his feet, looking at him expectantly. He wants him to apologize. Like hell. Jack's eyes narrow, but that's the only warning the older officer gets before Jack goes for him, twisting his arms behind his back, and a second later there's a blade against Hammond's throat. He's no match for a man with Jack's training. Jack pulls a small device from his jacket and briefly touches it to Hammond's neck. Immediately the general freezes, unable to move or make a sound. Jack lowers the paralyzed body to the floor and places the device on Hammond's chest right above his heart.

Smiling coldly he says:"See, _sir_ , I always thought 'heart attack' was the most likely cause of death for a man like you."

There's contempt in his voice. An old soldier out of shape, sending good people into combat while he himself is safe behind the lines. Hammond looks up at him from where he's laying on the floor. He's furious, but not scared. Jack is almost impressed. And Hammond is wounded. They all have that kicked puppy look when they look at him. The SGC's golden child has gone dark side. Only he has never been 'that' guy.

Jack activates the device. It emits a pale blue light and a low hum. Jack enters the frequency their tests have revealed to be most efficient. The light gets brighter and the hum rises. Suddenly Hammond's body convulses and then goes slack. Jack waits a moment and then checks pulse and breathing. There's nothing. He takes off the device and arranges the body. With one last scrutinizing look he decides that his work is done. When he opens the front door he sees a neighbor in her garden. Perfect. He turns back and calls out: "I still think you should rest, sir."

The old lady next door looks up and he smiles at her. "He looked a little pale. Never pays enough attention to himself."

She nods. "Do you think he might need anything?"

"No, I guess he'll call it a night early, and tomorrow he'll be as good as new. You can't keep a good man down, right?"

Jack smiles all the way to his house. He couldn't have planned it better. The lady will testify that Hammond was alive when he left and that he was worried about him. Just perfect.

He gets himself a beer and sets up the chess board. Ten minutes into the game there's a knock at the door. And look who's on his door step. Major Sam Carter in civvies, sporting the universe's biggest frown. He doesn't invite her in and she's obviously uncomfortable. He can tell she's confused and upset and doesn't really have a plan. This might be fun...he just looks at her, waiting. Finally she manages:

"Sir? Can I...come in, please?"

"Depends on what you want, major."

She flinches. Nothing as effective to keep someone at arm's length as using their rank. He takes a swig from his bottle.

"I was hoping we could talk, sir."

"About?"

She lets out a breath. "Please?"

Oh sweet. She's begging. Already. He suppresses a smirk. He steps back and goes to the living room, leaving it to her to close the door. She follows him and after a moment's hesitation sits down on the edge of the couch. He's across the coffee table in his armchair. She stares at the chess board and takes in the stage of the game. Black is winning, at least that's what it looks like. But you never know. She realizes she should probably say something.

"Uh, sir, I'm still...I really don't recognize you, sir!"

He just raises his eyebrow and takes another swig of beer.

"What you said in the briefing, is that really what you think? That we should just – _steal_ from our allies?"

If she only knew. So much useful stuff out there and so easy to get if you didn't have to play by the rules...she goes on: "Did you really think the general would agree?"

OK, now pay attention, Jack. He sighs and puts down the bottle.

"Look, as far as Hammond is concerned, I really was out of line. He's a good man" - he manages to keep a straight face - " and I shouldn't have talked to him the way I did. I apologized, and we're good." Ah, probably not. But it looks like Carter's world is a little more in order. She relaxes into the couch just a little.

"But -" Carter's head snaps up "- I still think I'm right."

"Sir!"

"What? Seriously, a bunch of mother ships descending on Cheyenne Mountain won't be stopped by a pure heart. And you _know_ what those snake heads are capable of."

For a moment he can't read the expression on her face, but then it dawns on him. He wasn't referring to Ba'al, but obviously she thought he was. Oh brilliant. Make it personal. Let her believe she can get him to open up. He just shuts up. Let the wheels start to spin.

"Sir", the way she says it right now he knows she means 'Jack', but is too scared to say it.

"What." It's brusque, but that won't stop her. She's trying to get through to him.

"You really think it's what we have to do in order to defend ourselves? That there's no other way?"

He briefly closes his eyes and shakes his head. "I don't know. But frankly? I think we are losing the battle. So yes. I do think it's the only way."

She gets up and squats down next to him. She has to look up at him, and boy what a sight that is. She's all worried now. This is too easy. He bites his lip and shakes his head again.

"I'm a simple guy, Carter. I understand war, and strategy, and man power. And I understand being outgunned. I'm just trying to do what I was trained for the only way I know how."

"You're a better man than that, Jack." Oh. There it is. That was quick. He looks at her, a long, seemingly open look, and yes – she leans in. So easy. No thrill. He stills, letting her believe for just a moment that he'll actually let her kiss him. And then he sits back. She pulls back, too and averts her eyes.

"I'm sorry", she breathes and almost jumps to her feet. "I guess I'd better go now."

She doesn't even look back as she flees from his living room. He smiles around his beer. So easy to manipulate.

XXX

The next morning George Hammond is found in his living room. Dr. Fraiser states that he died of a heart attack and that she has no reason to believe in any outside influences. The SGC is in a state of shock, and all gate travel is put on hold until Hammond's memorial service. All personnel are standing at attention in the 'gate room as Jack steps up the ramp and begins his speech:

"Major General George Hammond was a good man, a true leader and a role model to all the men and women under his command. Most of you probably know that shortly before his tragic death we had a disagreement, and I am truly grateful for the fact that we could solve it in time."

His gaze wanders while he goes on about Hammond's life and achievements. Everybody is holding it together just fine, only Jackson's eyes look suspiciously wet. Civilians. And Carter's jaw is set so firmly he thinks he should be able to hear her teeth grind. He wonders if she's still trying to figure out a way to convince him that he's wrong.

The day after the ceremony the base personnel are summoned again to be presented with their new base commander: Brigadier General Jack O'Neill. The stars on his shoulders feel damn good as he stands tall in front of his people. It's as if he's finally shed a skin. Finally he can be himself, and finally he has the means to do his job the way he feels it should be done. He intends to make that as clear as possible in his speech. Sam Carter, and everybody else who disagrees with him, can stop wracking their brains. They will not talk him out of it, and as the highest ranking officer on base he doesn't have to justify his actions to anyone any more. He feels like for the first time in far too long he can breathe freely. He's finally back to being himself again.

XXX

Epilogue

XXX

Major Samantha Carter knocks on Jack's open office door. He looks up and she stands at parade rest. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes. Care to explain these?"

He holds up a slim folder Sam recognizes as her transfer request. She swallows and stands straighter.

"I would like a new challenge, sir."

"Bullshit. You want out of my command because you don't approve of my approach, but the fact is that my approach is that of the Joint Chiefs, so unless you resign, you will have to deal with it. Request denied."

He can tell the moment she realizes that she's stuck with him and with the program. He decides to take it one step further, just to see her reaction. Getting up and moving around his desk he leans against it, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"In fact, I'd consider pulling back your request if I was you, major."

"Why, sir?"

"There might be a promotion in it for you."

He moves closer, just barely staying out of her personal space. His voice drops. "Why don't we discuss it in a more...intimate setting, say, my place? 20:00?"

She backs away wide eyed. "Sir, what exactly are you implying?"

"I am _implying,_ major, that you and I should discuss your...potential in private. In case I am... _pleased_ with what I see I might consider letting you command SG1."

She's speechless for a moment, and then her jaw sets.

"I suggest you dismiss me from this conversation ASAP, _sir_."

"Or what?"

She realizes he's been with his back to the surveillance camera all the time and probably blocked her from it as well. She lifts her chin.

"I will be fine with whatever fourth you assign to the team, _sir_."

"And follow his orders as you followed mine?"

His gaze wanders from her eyes down her body and up again. She can't believe this is the man she trusted with her life on more than one mission. She's sure he has never looked at her like this before. _He_ knows he simply wasn't stupid enough to be caught, and he still feels like playing:

"Sure you prefer _following_ orders to giving them?"

She just holds his gaze, her eyes narrowed. The smirk on his lips speaks volumes about where his mind is. "You're proud, major, and stubborn. No the qualities I appreciate in a woman."

When he finally dismisses her she's devastated. She feels like everything she used to believe was a lie.


End file.
